Where do you go when you die? Kat, a stoner with a flexible moral code, can answer that, and the answer is: not very far. Unfortunately for Kat’s peace of mind, a near-death experience has left her with the ability to see and hear ghosts, as well as take them into her “mindscape” so she can bring them to locations of their choosing, essentially playing transporter to the deceased. But when Kat discovers she’s the key to a demonic plan to screw up the whole world, she is forced to take an active role in the battle between good and evil. And she’s not thrilled about it. Let’s experience Dirtbag Rapture #1, written by Christopher Sebela, drawn by Kendall Goode and colored by Gab Contreras for Oni Press.
Dirtbag Rapture is charming.
There’s a lot more to say about the debut issue from Christopher Sebela, Kendall Goode, and Gab Contreras, of course. Goode’s art is clean and expressive as all hell, perfect for the supernatural comedy book this is. Sebela’s in top form, crafting another lovably terrible main character in the vein of the equally stellar Crowded. And the final page reveal is one of the best “Well I’ve GOT to grab the next issue” hooks I’ve seen in ages.
But when I was excitedly recounting the issue to my very patient partner before bed (admittedly a little zooted myself — it felt appropriate) I found myself focusing on the simple fact that I was utterly charmed from beginning to end. Hard to ask for more from a comic book about a stoner that makes a living as a ghost taxi funded by blackmail.
The premise of Dirtbag Rapture is both delightfully simple and infuriatingly clever. Kat Garcia died once, but she got better. Now she’s the only person in the world who can see ghosts, whether she wants to or not. When she isn’t busy playing temporary host to spirits in exchange for information that leads to cold hard cash, she loads herself up with the finest recreational drugs (not the life-ruining kind) that money can buy to drown out the spectral noise. Despite her repeated insistence to the contrary, Kat is kind of an asshole. Thankfully, Sebela puts his years of experience writing profoundly flawed characters to work and Kat’s abrasiveness manifests in ways that are both genuinely hilarious and also understandable given her whole Sixth Sense-meets-Pineapple Express situation.
This first issue is very much A First Issue, as the majority of its length is spent introducing Kat, explaining her whole deal, establishing the rules of the world and showing how her bizarre business works in action. Thankfully, none of it feels forced or clunky, entirely due to how well both sides of the creative team mesh and present a seamless, exciting package. Sebela’s witty but dense script fits Goode’s grounded but cartoon-tinged line work beautifully. Contreras’ flat palette choices give the book a familiar vibe that quickly shifts into beautiful pastel watercolor tones whenever the story enters Kat’s mind palace ghost hotel. No part of the whole feels underdeveloped or out of place and helps elevate Dirtbag Rapture beyond a fun enough comic to one of my favorite debuts of the year.
Kat is the unquestioned star of the show and the comic lives and dies on her execution, but the most interesting wrinkle comes from her newest ghostly companion, Hannah. A newly dead ghost, she serves as an audience viewpoint into Kat’s world and a convenient excuse to recount the story of how Kat gained her abilities and the rules of ghost existence. Seemingly sweet and demure in contrast to Kat’s … everything, Hannah becomes far more interesting than I ever expected. I don’t want to divulge too much, as the final pages of the issue had me outright cackling, but there’s more to sweet ol’ Hannah than meets the eye in a massive way.
Dirtbag Rapture is exactly what I hoped it would be. It’s charmingly vulgar, gorgeous to look at and builds a genuinely interesting world and mystery to let its human disaster of a lead stumble her way through. It’s a genuine treat to read, and left me laughing and thrilled in a way I really wasn’t prepared for. If you, like me, wish there were more dirtbag women in your life, love a good magical realism setting, or just want to read a charming-as-hell comic book, I can’t think of a better recommendation than Dirtbag Rapture.
Zoe Tunnell is a 29-year old trans woman who has read comics for most of her adult life and can't stop now. Follow her on Twitter @Blankzilla.
